<- Chapter 90 Chapter 92 -> Lissie had watched Niko eat the cabbages.  He pinched pieces of them off between his fingers.  She had watched him balance them, one by one, in his palm.  The pieces froze between his fingertips and crackled as he chewed. “Do you eat anything besides raw vegetables?”  Lissie asked. “It…

<- Chapter 89 Chapter 91 -> “What do you mean the Giant is a spy?”  The soldier was easing away from Riley as she spoke.  He stole glances at Nikolai. Lissie was barely listening to Alexander and Riley’s mounting lies.  She trusted them.  There were black spots forming at the edges of her vision.  Black…

<- Chapter 88 Chapter 90 -> “Ruskin Zarnovsky, you come back here right now!”  Alexander leapt up into a run after his dog. Riley grabbed the other four specimen bags and threw them over her shoulders. Lissie snatched Ruskin’s carrying bag.  They all took off running after Alexander. The dog dashed into a tunnel.  Cora…

<- Chapter 87 Chapter 89 -> Lissie startled out of her reverie when Cora clapped her hands and asked, “Do we have those specimen bags?” “You have the specimen bags!”  Alexander’s relief was loud. Riley fell to her knees. Lissie patted her shoulder and looked up at the beauty.  The air was wet, and it…

<- Chapter 86 Chapter 88 -> Lissie watched as Niko took another step back.  She tried to read his face.  He blinked his eyes and shook his head, and wiped an eye.  Something flew off, glittering and clear. Ruskin was growling from Alexander’s pack.  She turned to the sound, and watched Alexander slip one of…

<- Chapter 85 Chapter 87 -> “She’s dead, we lost the dust girl and now we are all going to die too!”  Alexander’s voice was high and keening.  His breath came fast, interrupting his words.   Lissie’s eyes flickered open.  She saw nothing.  She closed them and said, “I am okay, I’m fine.”  She felt…

<- Chapter 84 Chapter 86 -> Lissie looked through eyes that were not her own. They said I’d never find it.  The thought was not hers either. Costa was marching in circles around her.  Sword drawn, as usual.  Lissie looked down at her hands and saw that they were spotted and wrinkled. “Mistress, I don’t…

<- Chapter 83 Chapter 85 -> Lissie put her fingers to her mouth.  The blood was flowing from three of them like a river.   I barely felt it. She knew only one thing that sharp.  Black Ice.  Niko was calling to her, but she took another step forward.  She patted the ground from above,…

<- Chapter 82 Chapter 84 -> Lissie was last in line down the stairs.  She only had one hand, and Riley insisted they hold hands as they went down.  And Riley was leading with her sword drawn.   I don’t know what good that will do. Niko’s hand was in hers, and she could feel…

<- Chapter 81 Chapter 83 -> “First we have to leave something here we can find to mark the entrance.”  Cora was talking slow and clear.  “Alex, do you have anything we could feel?” “Um, I have some stuff.  It’s all very valuable, nothing I would leave behind.”  Alexander sounded hesitant. Riley barked, “Why don’t…